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One of the world’s deadliest diseases, malaria, has been a major cause of concern in India and around the world.

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) calls malaria a silent emergency that kills one child every 30 seconds, that's about 3000 children every day.

According to the World Malaria Report 2017, around 698 million people were at risk of malaria in 2016. In the same year, India accounted for 6% of all malaria cases in the world and the total number of cases in India was at 1.31 million, out of which 23,990 people lost their lives to the disease.

CausesThe mosquito-borne disease is caused by the Plasmodium parasite, which gets transmitted by female anopheles mosquito. It spread four species of parasite - P. falciparum, P. malariae, P. ovale and P. vivax. The most severe form is caused by P. falciparum, resulting in the most dangerous cerebral malaria.

Who's at risk?These mosquitoes bite mainly at night, between dusk and dawn. Pregnant women, children, elderly, and people with poor immunity are more vulnerable to this disease.

Infants who are born to mothers with malaria are more likely to have low birth weight, which can increase the risk of death in the first month. In mothers, the disease can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth and maternal death.

Signs and SymptomsThe symptoms start showing seven days or 10-15 days after an infected mosquito bites. In some cases, the symptoms may not appear for up to a year.

One of the complications is severe anaemia, where the red blood cells can't carry enough oxygen around the body, resulting in weakness and drowsiness. Another complication the much-feared cerebral malaria, described as unrousable coma, can be fatal if treatment is delayed.

Prevention- Apply insect repellent with DEET
- Keep yourself covered, especially between dusk and dawn
- Use a mosquito net while sleeping
- Keep your surroundings clean
- Speak to your family doctor to understand about the risk, incubation period, possibility of delayed onset, and symptoms
- Ask your doctor about anti-malarial drugs, which can prevent the infection from developing into clinical disease

(Inputs from www.malarianomore.org, www.unicef.org and www.who.int)

Smoothies, Sprouts, Soups: Get Your Diet Right For Monsoon

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Right Food For The Rainy Season

30 Jun, 2018

People usually fall sick during monsoon as the moisture in the air triggers growth and proliferation of many harmful micro-organisms. You must be very cautious about your food during rainy season as the wrong food will give rise to a variety of infections and diseases.Reema Narang, Dietician at Doctor Insta, and Mehar Rajput, Dietician at Fitpass, shares some advice for people to include these superfoods in their daily diet.Also read: Superfoods to boost immunity during monsoon

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Soups

10 Nov, 2017

Instead of eating chaat and pakodas try having soups during your snack time. Soups are full of nutrition and give satiety. As well as it is easy to digest and is light on your digestive system. It is recommended to drink soups with ginger, garlic, and black pepper. These spices not only increase its taste but also help in improving your immunity. It also acts as a hydrant for your body during the humid weather as humidity speeds up the dehydration in your body and leaves you with fatigue and nausea.

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Steamed Vegetables

30 Jun, 2018

Steaming softens vegetables while maintaining most of their nutrients, especially water-soluble compounds that are easily damaged by heat like Vitamin C. Steaming vegetables not only removes germs from them but also helps them retain more texture and flavor. Some of the staples of steamed vegetable are broccoli, mushrooms, carrots, and tomatoes.

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Sprouts

30 Jun, 2018

Sprouts are good for your health and it should be included in diet especially during monsoon as they will boost your immunity. You can have sprouts of green moong dal, kala chana, and chole with chopped onion, tomato and lemon juice. Make your sprout chaat tangy and tasty and you can have it in breakfast, lunch and in snack time.

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Smoothies

30 Jun, 2018

Juices are a no go in the monsoons, so replacing them with smoothies is the way to go. Avoid leafy vegetables like kale, spinach, cabbage etc and use organic food like cucumbers, oranges, mangoes, tomatoes for the required nutrition. Smoothies are not only easy to make but also are time-saving. Adding chia seeds to the smoothie acts as an energy booster for your body.

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